Monday Morning Humor

April 18, 2011

15 Comments

Now that you’ve watched the clip (and chortled I trust), let me offer this definitional reminder: satire is a form of communication using irony and sarcasm in which folly and vice are exposed and ridiculed.

It’s aim is to make you laugh, then to make you think. It can be done poorly or unwisely, but when done well, it uses wit as a noble weapon. Few Christians have thought carefully about the do’s and dont’s of satire. More should.

This particular scene is, as the kids say, LOL. You don’t have to see it as a blanket statement about the Church of England to see that this is good humor with a point.

Love it. And totally agree: many Christians have not thought about satire – and should. For example, in addition to your thorough review of Bell’s “Love Wins,” can we also respond with satire? Like, http://videorideo.wordpress.com/ ?

As an expat Aussie with a politically conservative pastor for a Dad, Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister were practically mandatory viewing in our home. The whole series is British political satire at its finest. Some of the monologue Sir Humphrey gives on governmental inertia are just brilliant, and brilliantly delivered. If you subscribe to Netflix, they have the entire series available for instant download.

Kevin DeYoung

Kevin DeYoung is senior pastor of University Reformed Church (RCA) in East Lansing, Michigan, near Michigan State University. He and his wife Trisha have six young children. You can follow him on Twitter.